Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Centrifugation at high speeds, so called ultracentrifugation, is an important part of many experiments in infectious disease research.  The specialized centrifuges and rotors necessary for this technique are usually considered a communal resource that is shared among researchers located in the same building.  Due to the extreme forces that result from the high speeds used, ultracentrifuges are solidly build and expected to last for decades if they are well maintained. There were originally two such centrifuges, both originating from the 1970s, in our research building.  One recently needed to be repaired and had to be taken out of service since replacement parts for this model are no longer available.  It was replaced by a model of similar age from another building, however, the advanced age of the available equipment puts us in a precarious situation, since it will also be unusable once repairs become necessary.  In addition, none of these centrifuges is equipped with HEPA filters, which is becoming a requirement for several of the viruses and bacteria we are working with. Finally, there is increased demand for centrifuge time because of the recent recruitment of new faculty, which has resulted in long waiting times and delay of experiments. To address this situation, we are requesting a new ultracentrifuge with five different rotors.  The new centrifuge will not only satisfy our current needs it will also comply with the new biosafety regulations.  It will enable us to efficiently pursue our research programs focusing on better understanding of important diseases like herpes, measles, hepatitis C, and Echerichia coli.